APD to go up for business jets

[fatmanmedia]

Just announced on the budget that the APD for business jets is to go up while long haul is to go down.

Why don't governments understand the value of business jets?

Fats

[His dudeness]

Because its popular not to.

[Daifly]

In the first quarter of operation of the APD Scheme for business jets, HRMC received £1.13M in APD from operators.

I wonder if the Scheme costs more than £4.5M per year to administer...?

[mutt]

And they are also about to sneak in a requirement for slots in a number of airports, stansted, luton and manchester are added to Heathrow and Gatwick. Needless to say, they won't be free :(

[Phil Brockwell]

I have a question about APD - my aircraft are all under 5700kg, so we are exempt therefore I have no experience of this.

Reading the guidance material Transit Flights are exempt. So obviously a quick splash and dash is exempt, but what if the pax get off the aircraft, go for a meeting, get back on the aircraft and take-off.

1. Is there a time limit for the length of time on the ground.
2. Does the aircraft have to depart to somewhere it didn't just arrive from.

"3.1.4 Transit passengers

Any APD liability applies to the journey as a whole. When an aircraft makes a stop 'en route' and passengers do not change aircraft then no additional duty becomes due for the leg of the journey immediately after the stop."

[Phill]

If the PAX go to a meeting, then this changes the transit and it becomes a rateable flight. Similarly if PAX go shopping etc.

If PAX go to hotel and return to continue flight next day, it'll still class as transit.

Off the top of my head, the time limit is 'reasonable' i.e. overnight sleep / crew rest period. Once you get beyond 24hrs I'd imagine you getting into dodgy ground.

[Private jet]

If the operator is getting stressed about APD then they really can't afford to fly their own aircraft. BUT as previously mentioned, the creeping slot requirement is a different and much more dangerous development, not just cost wise but its taking away one of the major benefits of using a private aircraft namely flexibility. More and more "admin" to boot too.

[His dudeness]

If the operator is getting stressed about APD then they really can't afford to fly their own aircraft.

Only thing I don´t understand is why this argument doesn´t work when I´m in discussion on my earnings... could it be that some operators do actually have a cost/benefit analysis in place and see their aircraft as a tool ?

IF pilots/operators in the very business argue like this, then we are doomed.